Torpedo-guard.



G. DANOVARO.

yToHPEDo'GuMm APPLICATION F-ILED MAR. 12, 1917.

1 ,270,020. Patented June 18, 1918.

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Patented June 18, 1918.

G. DANUVARO.

TORPEDO GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.12,1917.

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MUZ/ TM GIOVANNI DANOVARO, 0F WELLAND, ONTARIO, CANADA.

TORPEDO-GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jul'le 18, 1918.

Application filed March 12, 1917. Serial No. 154,396.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GIOVANNIv DANovARo, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at IVelland, Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Torpedo-Guards, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in torpedo guards, more especially to torpedo guards for use on shi s. The object of my invention is to provide a torpedo guard which shall effectively prevent a torpedo from damaging the hull of the vessel. To this end I provide means whereby the torpedo will be either diverted entirely from its course or else be caused to explode at some distance from the hull of the vessel, the impact of the explosion being prevented by ap ropriate means from reaching the hull of) the vessel.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a vessel equipped with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of one side of the vessel with the deck broken away;

Fig. 4 is a side view in elevation of one of the movable screens;

Fig. 5 is a side view in elevation of the stationary screen or shield; and

Fig. 6 is an end view of parts shown in Fig. 3 illustrating a motor in connection therewith.

From each side of the hull of the vessel 1 project a number of rotatable shafts 3. A set of shafts is arranged at each side of the vessel, at the bow and at the stern. The outer ends of the shafts of each set are connected by a bar 5, which forms an eX- tension of a member 6 having its inner end attached to the vessel to form a bracket for the shafts.

Adjacent the outer end of each shaft is a crank 7. Connecting these cranks 7 on each side of the vessel is a frame 8 loosely v connected, by chains 21 and sprockets 23, to a motor 14: of any desired type, by which they may be caused to rotate.

Between the frame 13 and the hull of the vessel, a third frame 15 is mounted on the shafts to slide longitudinally thereof. On this frame are secured a plurality of slabs of cork 17 to form a continuous sheet or wall. Between the frame 15 and the hull of the "vessel are provided a plurality of compression springs 19.

The frames 8, 13 and 15, together with the nets and slabs of cork carried thereby,

form screens ,or shields for protecting they hull of the vessel from torpedo attack. The device is sol arranged that the nets havetheir upper ends approximately flush with the water line, and extend downwardly far enough to protect the vital parts of the vessel. The position of the nets along the sides of the vessel is such as to bring them in the probable paths of any torpedo fired at the vessel. v

The rotation of the shaft 3 causes the frames S and 13 to oscillate in their own planes, parallel to each other, but since the cranks 7 and 12 are set at an angle of 1800, the movements of these frames will be outof-phase so as to produce a continual change in the relative positions ofthe frames. If the torpedo reaches the outer net 10, the meshes of which are of course considerably smaller than the cross-section of the torpedo, it will be slowed up to a certain degree but will, however, probably pass entirely through the net. However, while it is passing through the net, the oscillatory movement of the latter acting successively along different portions oftheK length of the torpedo willnot only tend to deflect the torpedo considerably from its path, but will -also stil-l further decrease its speed. The

passage of the torpedo through this net will break a greater or less number of the strands, and the dangling ends of these will tend to catch in the propeller of the torpedo; even if this does not result in completely stopping the forward movement of the torpedo, such forward movement will be considerably reduced and the course of the torpedo changed.

The effect of the second net in neutralizing the forward movement of the torpedo will, however, be increased by the fact that it is moving in a direction opposite to that of the rst net. It is to be understood, of

pedo 'that passes through both nets will` reach the second one while it is still moving 5 '"in a direction opposite to that in which the outer or first net is moving at the time of the passage of the torpedo therethrough. Should a torpedo get safely past both nets without entanglement of the propeller, it will strike the cork slabs 17 on the inner frame. rlhis will usually cause the torpedo to explode, but since the great eectiveness of cork as a shock absorber is supplemented by the springs 19, the force of the explosion will do little more than force the frame l5 inwardly toward the hull of the vessel.

While l have described and shown in the drawings a preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that l am not limited to the specific details disclosed, but in practical use may adapt such modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

W'hat l claim is l. A torpedo guard comprising a net and means for imparting to the net a continuous oscillatory motion in its own plane.

2. A torpedo guard comprising a plurality of nets positioned one in front of the other for interposition in the probable paths of torpedoes, and means for imparting to each of said nets a continuous oscillatory movement in its own plane.

3. Atorpedo guard comprising a plurality of members one in front of the other for interposition in the probable paths of torpedoes, and means for moving said members out-of-phase so as to produce a continual change in the relative positions of said members.

4. A torpedo guard comprising a plurality of vertical screens throughout their extent lying in parallel planes, and means for producing a relative movement of said screens in said planes.

5. In combination with the hull of a vessel, a plurality of relatively movable screens mounted on the side of the vessel, certain of said screens adapted to permit the passage therethrough of a torpedo but to defleet it from its course, another of said screensv arranged to receivey the impact of a torpedo and of its explosion.

6. n combination with the hull of a vessel, a plurality of rotatable shafts extending therefrom, a net mounted on said shafts adjacent the outer ends thereof and parallel to the side of the vessel, a second net on said shafts between the vessel` and the iirst net, cranks on said shafts by which the nets are connected thereto, the cranks for the first net being set at an angle to the cranks for the second net, whereby the rotation of the shafts causes said nets to move in their planes relative to the vessel and to each other, and an elastic shield resiliently supported between said nets and the side of the vessel.

7. In combination with the hull of a ves" sel, a plurality of vertical frames arranged along the side of the vessel, one beyond the other, the outer frames carrying nets and being mounted for movement in their planes out-of-phase with each other, the inner frame having corl; slabs mounted thereon to form a continuous wall, and compression springs between said inner frame and the side of the vessel.

8. ln combination with the hull of a vessel, a plurality of vertical frames arranged along the side of the vessel longitudinally 'thereof and positioned one beyond the other, the said frames carrying nets and having out-of-phase movements to produce a Vcontinual change in the relative positions of said nets.

9. ln combination with the hull of avessel, a plurality of vertical frames arranged along the side of the vessel longitudinally thereof and positioned one beyond theother,`

the said frames carrying nets and having out-of-phase parallely movements to produce a continual change in the relative positions of said nets.

Signed at New York, N. Y., this 27 day of February, 1917.

GOVANNI DANGVARG.

Copies o this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

